Pine Valley Historic LDS Chapel Gallery

This unique chapel has the distinguished position of being the oldest LDS chapel in continuous use. On a personal note, it was one of the places my family first fell in love with when we moved to America. To this day, my parents own a cabin there where they often attend church in the summer.

In the 1860s the group of settlers sent to establish the Washington and Santa Clara colonies desired a permanent chapel that was similar in style to the churches they had left in New England. However, the only person in Pine Valley who was even remotely qualified as an architect was Ebenezer Bryce, a shipbuilder. Ebenezer took on the challenge and used his shipbuilding experience to design the chapel. Ebenezer applied unique techniques as he constructed the chapel, including wrapping the corners of the building with strips of green rawhide that tightened as they dried. When the church was finished, he said, "If a flood should come, it would float and if a wind came strong enough to blow it over, it would still never crash to pieces."

Still loved and used today, the Pine Valley Chapel holds a rich history that the whole family can enjoy. Tours are available. * Information from www.LDS.org